Prince Andrew: Tom Bower discusses Virginia Giuffre case

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King Charles and Prince William are in agreement when it comes to Prince Andrew’s future. Royal commentator Richard Kay has claimed both the monarch and his heir have no intention to revert the decision taken by the late Queen last year when it came to the removal of the Duke of York’s official roles.

Writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Kay claimed: “The King was clear that, putting aside his brotherly affection for Andrew, the decision by the Queen a year ago to remove all his official roles was the right one and remains non-negotiable.

“In taking this view, Charles is fully supported by his heir, Prince William.”

The Duke of York, the newspaper’s editor-at-large added, “fully understands their position” and “has come to terms with it”.

However, Mr Kay added: “Sources close to Andrew tell me there is a distinction between what Andrew actually wants and what is being circulated, allegedly on his behalf.”

Reports about the heir to the throne’s feelings about a possible return to the fore of Prince Andrew appeared in June last year, when the Evening Standard wrote William had warned he may pull out of the Order of the Garter ceremony at St George’s Chapel if his uncle was in attendance.

A source claimed: “The Duke of Cambridge was adamant. If York insisted on taking part publicly, he would withdraw.”

This comes as Prince Andrew is reportedly considering trying to overturn the out-of-court settlement he struck with his accuser Virginia Giuffre in February last year.

Ms Giuffre had launched a civil lawsuit in New York against the Queen’s second son in the summer of 2021, in which she accused him of sexual assault while she was 17 and being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein.

The Duke of York had vehemently and repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

After the Duke’s lawyer tried and failed to have the case dismissed by US judge Lewis A. Kaplan, Prince Andrew returned his royal and military patronages to his mother The Queen.

A statement released in January 2022 by Buckingham Palace read: “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen.

“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”

Royal sources added the Duke would continue not to use his His Royal Highness (HRH) style.

A few weeks later, the Duke struck a settlement with Ms Giuffre, which did not represent an admission of liability on his behalf.

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Andrew had stopped carrying out royal duties in late November 2019, days after his interview with BBC’s Newsnight entirely focused on his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

As commentators criticised him for failing to show sympathy for the victims of the convicted sex offender – who had been found dead in his prison cell in August 2019 – and some of his patronages cut their ties with him, the Duke announced he would temporarily step back from public duties.

During that same interview, the royal had told Emily Maitlis he had no recollection of ever meeting Ms Giuffre and also claimed he did not “recollect that photograph ever being taken” while speaking about the notorious picture seemingly showing him with a hand wrapped around Ms Giuffre’s waste.

The snap, which has become the symbol of Ms Giuffre’s allegation against the Duke, was taken in March 2001 on the upper floor of the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell – who also appears in the photo – Ms Giuffre has previously said.

The veracity of the photograph has been argued, among others, by Maxwell – who is serving 20 years in a Florida prison after being found guilty of procuring teenage girls for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004 – charges she continues to deny.

Speaking from prison with TalkTV, Maxwell claimed the picture was “a fake”, as “there’s never been an original, and further there’s no photograph, and I’ve only ever seen a photocopy of it”.

However, a report dating back to January suggested the picture is genuine, with the Mail on Sunday sharing an image said to be the back of the original photograph.

It reportedly shows the photo was developed at a one-hour processor in a Walgreens pharmacy in March 2001.

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